May 9, 2001
13TH RANKED CLEMSON TOPS FURMAN 9-6 IN 11 INNINGS
GREENVILLE -- Chad Coder scored from second base on a error to ingite a three-run Clemson 11th inning to lift the nationally 13th-ranked Tigers to a 9-6 win over Furman in front of 1,612 fans at Furman Stadium Wednesday night.
Playing Furman for the first time in Greenville since 1993, Clemson (34-18) posted its 28th straight victory over the Paladins (30-23) dating back to 1984.
Coder opened the Clemson 11th with a walk and Michael Johnson reached base after being hit by Paladin pitcher Rob Purvis (2-1). After Danny Rueckel relieved Purvis, Clemson's Steve Pyzik then laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Paladin third baseman Cole Hubka's throw to first base got past Dominic Frankey, allowing Coder to score from second and Johnson to reach third. After Rueckel hit Kyle Frank to load the bases, Johnson came home on a wild pitch for the Tigers' second run, and Casey Stone completed the three-run Tiger frame with a sacrifice fly.
Josh Cramm (3-1) surrendered only one hit over the final 4 2/3 innings to pick up the win. In all eight Tiger pitchers worked in the contest.
Clemson used a Khalil Greene RBI single and a run scoring ground out by Jarrod Schmidt to grab a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Paladin starter Tom Mastny.
The Tigers struck for three more in the third when Jeff Baker belted his 20th home run of the season, a three-run shot over the left field fence, to stretch the advantage to 5-0.
Furman got on the board in the bottom of the inning when Adam Etherington scored on Derek Norman ground out to make it 5-1.
After Clemson extended its lead to 6-1 on a run-scoring single by Casey Stone in the fourth, Furman began chipping away at the Tiger lead. Adam Etherington led off the fifth with a walk and scored when Charlie Hahl, who came off the bench for an injured Clint Hill, delivered his first home run of the season over the left field fence off Tiger reliever B.J. LaMura to slice it to 6-3.
In the sixth Furman struck for three more runs to tie the game at 6-6. After Danny Rueckel tripled to open the inning, Justin Maderer singled to drive him home. Dominic Frankey then singled and later scored, along with Maderer, on a double by Adam Etherington to left center off Clemson's Thomas Boozer.
The Tigers worked their way out of bases loaded, one-out trouble in the seventh when Cram, who came on for Harrelson, retired Derek Norman on a force at home plate for the second out and then got Richie Dean on a ground out to end the threat.
Furman out hit Clemson 12-11 and limited the Tigers to only two hits over the final six innings. The Tigers' Casey Stone, however, led all batters, going 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.